Transcript

5.12.26 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the reading of the Washington Post for Tuesdays,
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May twelfth, twenty twenty six. As a reminder, Radio I
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is a reading service intended for people who are blind
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or have other disabilities that make it difficult to read.
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Printed in serial. Your reader for today is Cindy Fraser.
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Today's frontage headlines from the Washington Post are Virginia Democrats
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aren't done. Emergency appeal made to Supreme Court in hope
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of saving re drawn maps. Next, Our voice shouldn't get diluted.
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GOP redistricting split the Latino community in central Florida, angering
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both sides of the isle. Next, a turf battle over
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AI control quote knife fight, split's administration. Spy agencies vie
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for more sway than commerce. Next, Trump seeks to suspend
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gas tax amid soaring prices. Headline as US weapon stocks dwindle,
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Allies take note. Europeans worry about the Iran's war's impact
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on the program to army Ukraine. The final headline from
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today's tron page reads new Target CEO tries to bring
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back its retail magic. In addition, on the front page,
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there is a photo caption Isolated love passengers of the
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hant of Irish stricken cruise ship and VI Hondia's gesture
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from a military bus at a port in Tenerwif in
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Spain's Canary Islands on their way to flights back home
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to their home countries. The photo shows several individuals through
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a window. Individual in the center of the photo is
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holding his hands in a heart shape above his head.
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Now like to turn to the first item from today's frontage,
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entitled Virginia Democrats aren't done with five emergency appeal made
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to Supreme Court in hope of saving read on map
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by Gregory S. Schneider and Tail Armis, Virginia Democrats filed
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an emergency appeal to the US Supreme Court on Monday
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in a last ditch attempt to save redrawn congressional maps
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that could send four extra Democrats to the US House,
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arguing that the state's high court improperly overturned a redistricting
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referendum last week. But some top Democrats expressed little hope
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that the appeal will affect this November's congressional mid terms
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and are pivoting to waging campaigns in the state's existing districts.
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In an interview, state Senate majority leader Scott Sorrovell, Democrats
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from Fairfax, said the practical realities of our election calendar
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will prevent candidates from running in new maps, even if
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conservative justices on the u. S. Supreme Court were open
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to helping Virginia Democrats. Tuesday is the deadline set by
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state elections officials for putting the ballot mechanisms in place.
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Sirrevell noted that Virginia's election software is adseequated and overdue
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for replacement. Instead, Democrats are making the case that it's
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time to work with the cards they have in hand.
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Since we can't control anything other than mobilizing and organizing,
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let's mobilize and organize and turn our anger into fuel
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for that. Representative Jennifer McClelland, Democrat from Virginia said the
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Supreme Court of Virginia last week overturned the state referendum
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by which a slim majority of voters in April approved
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drawing new congressional boundaries. The Court's decision was a big
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win for President Donald Trump in his efforts to hold
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on to a slim GOP majority in the House this fall.
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Republican led states are continuing to add red leading districts.
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Even as Virginia's bid to fly back was thwarted, Virginia
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Democrats have shut the door on an idea floated over
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the weekend to remove members of the Supreme Court of
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Virginia by quickly lowering the mandatory rett time and age
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and packing it with favorable justices for another swing at redistricting. No.
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Governor Abigail Stanberger, a Democrat, replied Monday afternoon when asked
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whether she supported such a move as she left a
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bill siding event. We're not talking about it. It's not serious,
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Suravel said in an interview. Democrats, who threw more than
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sixty four million dollars and massive amounts of political capital
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into the hasty campaign in Virginia, have scrambled over the
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past few days to regroup. The court packing idea, first
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reported by The New York Times, came up Saturday during
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the call between House Minority Leader Jakim Jeffreys, Democrats from
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New York, and Democratic members of Virginia's congressional delegation. Two
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people with knowledge of the call, who spoke of the
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condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation, said it
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was not a formal strategy meaning, but instead an opportunity
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for the Democrats to air the frustration. Another person on
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the call, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity,
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said the topic of ousting justices was presented as something
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that had been seen on social media. This person said
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that Jeffreys did not introduce the court scrapping idea, but
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that he wanted to know if it was possible that
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was posed as a possibility. I don't think you about
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majority support in the call, Representative Robert Bobby Scott, Democrat
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from Virginia said of the proposal. Sirvell said he spoke
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with Jeffreys over the weekend and explained to the leader
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that the most productive route would be to fight hard
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for the current districts. Sirvell said two of the four
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Republican health seats that would have shifted blue under the
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new maps are pretty vulnerable under the existing map. Through
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many two seats could be viable challenges as well, particularly
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if Trump keeps pushing up gas prices by fighting an
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illegal and ill advised war and putting our economy into
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our recession. Cervell said. On Monday, Jeffreys wrote to his
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fellow Democrats that we remain undeterred despite the ruling of
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Virginia and the US Supreme Courts striking down of a
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key part of the Voting Rights Act that ensured minority representation.
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The latter decision sparked a new round of map drawing
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for Republicans seeking to eliminate majority black districts represented by Democrats.
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Democratic enthusiasm and resolve have grown more intense even after
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being aided and abetted by blatantly undemocratic court decisions that
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failed GOP majority will not be able to gerrymander themselves
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back into power, Jeffreys wrote. Representative Sue haste Ramagnian, Democrat
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from Virginia, said he was operating under the assumption that
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this year's midterm elections would play out under the same
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map of Virginia congressional districts used in twenty twenty four.
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He didn't like the idea of a voter rectum to
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redraw the Commonwealth snaps in the first place, he said,
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but said such a measure was necessary to create a
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fair political climate. These are unprecedented times, and you have
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to respond to unprecedented actions by Republicans with our own
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unprecedented actions. Supermaniam said in an interview. The only way
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will have fair elections across the country is to make
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Republicans pay the price. Scott said he was infuriated by
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the ruling of the Supreme Court of Virginia that overturned
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the redistriputing referendum, finding it full of holes. The court
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found that the General Assembly violated the state constitutional requirement
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to vote on a proposed amendment before a House of
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delicates election and again after the election. The decision said
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that the redistriputing referendum did not qualify because early voting
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had begun last year when the initial legislation was passed.
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Scott argued that the finding is out of step with
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state and federal definition of elections as occurring on election day,
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which is partly the basis for the emergency appeal filed
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Monday with the US Supreme Court, But he waved off
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the question of whether any court action might come too
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late to effect this year's elections. I'm not good at predicting,
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Scott said. My view now is I'm focused on getting elected.
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Republicans ridiculed the Democrats for their predicament, but the gloating
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sparked a backlash when Representative Jen Higgins Republican from Virginia,
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whose Virginia Beach District is one of the most vulnerable
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under the existing maps, agreed with a radio host Monday
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who told Jeffreys to quote, get your cotton picking hands
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off of Virginia. Higgins replied, that's right, I did a yes.
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Democrats immediately condemned Higgins for endorsing a phrase widely seen
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as racist, especially when applied to a black man. She
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responding on nets that the radio host should not have
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used that language and I do not and did not
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condone it, but also accused Democrats of using every line
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in distortion to distract from getting their hats handed to them.
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Justin Juvenal contributed to this report. This item is accompanied
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by a photo which is captioned A poster on the
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Virginia redistricting referendum is seen during voting on April twenty first,
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Julia de Marie Nickerson ap The photo shows the top
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of the piece of paper with the seal of the
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State of Virginia to the left and the title proposed
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amendment to be voted on at the April twenty first,
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twenty twenty six. The next got in from Today's front
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page is entitled our voice shouldn't get diluted. GOP redistricting
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splinters a Latino community in Central Florida, angering both sides
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of the isle. By Teo Armis and Clara and Zey
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Mors from Kissimi, Florida. The Saturday night crowd at a
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Mother's Day celebration in the lake Front Cities Lively Downtown,
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decorated with Puerto Rican flagh and blasting bumba music, offered
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a microcosm of the blooming congressional district in which it
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sits and is being torn apart. Two families of being
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Sangria were part of a decade ago wave of Puerto
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Ricans haiden from colder northern cities such as New York.
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Nearby at a snap table was one couple who had
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moved here from the island as it is simply known,
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in search of the steady incomes and lower electricity bills.
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The group of friends singing Carol g on karaoke mikes, meanwhile,
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had left Venezuela and Colombia more recently to rebuild their
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lives in the United States. This is Central Florida in
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the nutshell. Its one big community with people from all over,
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said Jerry Lay. Young who attended a bar during the party.
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Our voice shouldn't get to looted. Virtually everyone around him
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has been represented in Washington for the past decade by
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representing him. Darren Soto, a Democrat, the state's first Puerto
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Rican congressman in a district where Latinos were in the
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majority as in this article, is a graph entitled in
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Southern's District, new map removes Puerto Ricans and ads whites.
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Florida's new ninth Congressional district, which is plurality white, backed
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done Trump by eighteen points in twenty twenty four. The
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old district, which was majority Hispanic, back to Kamala Harris.
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The graph shows the percentage of white voters moving from
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twenty eight percent in the old district to forty four percent,
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Blacks from ten to eight percent, Asians from four to
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three percent, Hispanics from fifty four to forty one percent,
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Puerto Ricans from twenty six to seventeen percent, Venezuelans from
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seven to four percent, and Colombians from four to three percent.
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Note demographic numbers reflect twenty twenty four five year American
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Community Survey data source US Census Bureau, but under a
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new congressional map signed into law by five Florida Governor
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Ron de Santis, a Republican, last week. The growing community
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of Puerto Ricans and South Americans on displaying KISSIMI will
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be splintered across four districts. Two will continue giving Republicans
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an edge, and one farther north and Orlando will become
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even more democratic. In the ninth congressional district, which is
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held by Soto, non Hispanic white people will surpass Lapimos
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as the largest demographic group, and Republican candidates will gain
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a clear advantage in an area stretching a two hour
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drive to the Treasure Coast. It's an overhaul that is
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being seen as a racial and ethnic affront, according to
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interviews with about twenty voters across the district, and one
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that strips Puerto Ricans of their hard earned political power.
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You're not giving the voters the respect they deserve, said
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the Carlo Garcia Rosario, a former Florida GOP field organizer,
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who like other Hispanic Republicans, has decried the change, even
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as he opposes so To's policies. Dances, but give me
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a fair opportunity to vote him out, he added. Soto
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could receive a lifeline from Latinos who have rapidly moved
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into the district, turned away from President Donald Trump, and
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grown outraged by the new map. But the district's new older,
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conservative white voters, who are more likely to turn out,
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are tipping the scales against Soda. As Trump has pressured
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geop led states to redraw their congressional maps to elect
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more Republicans, and blue states have punched back with referendums
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doing the opposite. The ensuing arms race has created some
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odd geopolitical bedfellows around the country. Pockets of liberal urban
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voters in Texas and Missouri are being sliced up and
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diluted by much larger stretches of rural Republicans. New maps
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in California and Virginia cut up red hunks and overwhelmed
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them with blue areas. Virginia's referendum was struck down Friday
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by its High Court. Here in the heart of Florida's
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Puerto Rican diaspora, Desantus' new map offers a preview of
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what could be coming for the rest of the Southeast
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after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act last month.
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From Lyon, who was tending bar and works at a
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nonprofit focused on organizing the Latino community. It is also
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an example of how that court decision unraveling and achievement
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of the civil rights movement led by African Americans can
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have ripple effects across other communities. The most dramatic shift
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in the past few decades the southern half of the
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Orlando metro area, a sprawling patch with strip malls, themed
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parts and retention ponds centered in the Naziola County, has
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seen hundreds of people move in daily beyond. A musician
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and actor who previously lived in the Puerto Rican city
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of Colmo was one of them. He settled in central
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Florida with his wife and kids just before the coronavirus
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pandemic Mo for his wife's new job. I'm Puerto Rican,
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but I embrace it here as if it's Puerto Rico,
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he said. We're here to move this country forward. As
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the community transformed, so did its congressional representation. In twenty ten,
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Florida voters banned gerrymandering in a statewide referendum, barring lawmakers
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from drawing districts to favor one political party or to
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diminish racial minority's ability to elect preferred candidates. The ninth
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district was created shortly thereafter and gave Florida its first
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Puerto Rican congressman, in Soa, who had been a state lawmaker.
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Between twenty ten and twenty twenty, it was a nation's
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fastest growing district, as nearly two hundred seventy three thousand
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residents moved in. Many were Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane
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Maria and economic crises in the US territory. Next in
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this article is a graph entitled Osceola County has doubled
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in size since two thousand and five. Nearly all its
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new residents are Hispanic. The county at the center of
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the ninth district has grown steadying for decades. It saw
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a spike around the pandemic, gaining nearly one hundred thousand
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residents between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty four. This is
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a line graph which shows the numbers of white voters
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staying pretty much stable, with one hundred thirteen thousand, one
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hundred ninety nine in two thousand five and one thousand,
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sixteen four hundred twenty nine in twenty twenty four. A
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number of black voters increased from nineteen thousand, seven hundred
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sixty four in two thousand and five to forty five thousand,
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one hundred sixty four in twenty twenty four. The number
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of Hispanic voters increased from eighty seven thousand, two hundred
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forty nine in two thousand and five to two hundred
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sixty nine thousand, eight hundred eighty five in twenty twenty four.
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There were eight thousand, nine hundred twenty three other voters
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in two thousand five and thirty six thousand, five hundred
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eighty other voters in twenty twenty four. Source U S
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SENTUS Bureau Clara Ansmors the Washington Post. Late last month,
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Dessensus put forth a new map that he said was
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necessary to account for the state's explosive growth since twenty twenty.
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Republicans currently hold twenty of the states twenty eight congressional districts,
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but the new map gives them an edge in an
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additional four districts represented by Democrats. Suta's district has undergone
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one of the starkest demographic shifts of those targeted. The
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non Hispanic white population shoots up from twenty eight percent
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to forty four percent. The overall Haspanic population meanwhile, drops
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from about fifty four to forty one percent, with Puerto
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Ricans falling from twenty six to seventeen percent. I still
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have a lotted my fellow Borbicios in the community, but
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it quite deliberately breaks the community apart, Soa said in
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an interview. Nexts in this article is a graph entitled
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Across America, Puerto Ricans lean more Democratic than other Hisspetic voters.
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In twenty twenty four, Puerto Rican voters backed upon the
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Harris by a thirty four percentage point margin, outpacing support
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from other Hispanic voters. The graph shows the change in
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the ethnic groups sway towards one part of the other.
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White voters were more Republican by thirteen percentage points total,
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Hispanic voters were more democratic by nine percentage points. Puerto
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Rican voters were more democratic by thirty four percentage points,
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and black voters were more democratic by sixty four percentage points.
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Note Puerto Rican voters include those who reported any Puerto
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Rican heritage, including in combination with other ethnicities. Black and
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white voters are non Hispanic source co Operative Election Survey.
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Civil rights advocates have filed losses challenging the legality of
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the new map under Florida's district's amendment. Desantos, however, is
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betting that the voter approved rules will be struck down
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entirely by state judges. He is largely appointed an uphill
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battle over Kisiko pastries at a Puerto Rican bakery in Kisumi.
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Seldom signaled he would stay in the race either way.
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It will be either fighting DeSantis in the courthouse or
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at the ballot box. He said, elisted and fisheries of
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federal funding is help secure as a congressman, a semiconductor project,
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new rail lines, and airport expansion that he says will
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help draw swing voters or infrequent voters in this tough
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but winnable reshaped district. Some GOP leaders have assumed that
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a Republican will win the redrawn district because Trump won
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majority of Hispanic Osceola in twenty twenty four, the first
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GOP presidential candidate to do so in more than three decades.
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Counties with large numbers of Hispanic voters have shifted sharply
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right over the past decade, along with the rest of Florida.
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Nets In this articles, a graph entitled Florida's most Hispanic
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counties shifted right along with its widest ones. Between twenty
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twelve and twenty twenty four, Florida counties with at least
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twenty five percent Hispanic residents shifted fifteen points right, moving
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in staff with counties across the state. This is a
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line graph that shows that counties with less than ten
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percent Hispanic population shifted more Republican by thirty four points,
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Counties with ten to twenty five percent Hispanic voters shifted
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more Republican by thirteen points, and counties that are more
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than twenty five percent Hispanic shifted more Democratic by seven percent.
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Ethnicity data reflects five year acs for each county in
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each year. Source US Census Bureau. Dave Leaf's election atlas.
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But Soto said that Latinos drawn to Trump's economic message
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are shifting back to the Democratic Party. They are hampered
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by rising costs for gas and groceries, upset over the
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war in Iran, and disturbed by mass deportations, sowing fear
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among their friends, neighbors, and relatives, he added. Dave Wasserman,
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senior editor at the non partisan Cook Political Report, said
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the math of the new district may be a barrier
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too tall for Soto to overcome the new ninth district
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Lufsen younger Puerto Rican and other Latino voters with more
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conservative white retarees on the Treasure Coast. A victory is
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still very far fetched, given that this district is now
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about as Republican as Campus, Wasserman said, even if mounting
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frustration with Trump and the GOP could give Soto some
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limited pass to victory, the best funded candidate seeking the
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GOP nomination for the ninth district is a real estate
21:52
developer who is largely paying for his own campaign. More
21:55
candidates appear likely to emerge from the coastal area in
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and around Vera Beach. Osciola County Republican Party chairge Old
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Davis said he believes Soto, whom he described as well
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liked and well known in the county, could win even
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with new lines. David's wife state represented the Polystark, a
22:14
Republican one in an Ostiolo district that heavily favors Democrats.
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If you have a better Republican candidate, they're going to
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get elected. If you have a better Democratic candidate, they're
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going to get elected. Davis said, if we don't run
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a decent candidate. We're not going to beat Soto anyway.
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Previous predictions about an influx of Puerto Ricans turning Florida
22:36
blue did not pan out yet in the much smaller
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geographic area, Puerto Ricans outraged by the district's shattering are
22:43
motivated to vote, Soto said. He pointed to a bold
22:47
face headline in the local Spanish language paper Puerto Rican
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district in danger after electoral redesign deserve to have representation.
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Days after Dessanta's proposed redistricting, it was already being used
23:01
as a democratic talking point, as volunteers met in an
23:04
Orlando location of the same Puerto Rican bakery to knock
23:08
on doors for down valid candidates. This over a million
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Hispanics in Central Florida who deserved to have representation in
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Washington because it leads to actual changes on the ground,
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Samuel Vilchell Santiago of Venezuelan American running for a state
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House seat that overlaps with the ninth district, told the
23:27
group subtle helped the US territory, which does not have
23:31
a voting representative in Congress, secure billions of aid following
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Hurricane Maria. And push for Aziola County to receive federal
23:39
investment to help keep up with its rapid growth. The
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redistricting effort that threatened this representation, he said, was like
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the corruption endemic in some Latin American countries. We have
23:51
a critical opportunity to push back, Littlechel Santiago said, inside
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a gated community of gray and white stupp of houses
23:59
and suls out East Orlando. That message seemed to resonate
24:03
with Mari Reez, a consultant and naturalized citizen from Venezuela.
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She volunteered for Hillary Clinton's twenty sixteen presidential campaign, but
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then voted for Trump in twenty twenty and twenty twenty
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four in part because of his promise to oust Venezuelan
24:18
president Nuguelasma Doo. She was happy he made good on
24:22
that promise, but his immigration policies frayed her support. One
24:26
of her neighbors, a Venezuelan who had received humanitarian parole,
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had a panic attack and died after police stopped him
24:34
for a broken tailight while he was driving for Uber.
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The new maps splitting apart the area were like salt
24:40
in the wound. Things have been going way too far,
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she said, The day after the Mother's Day celebration in Cassimi,
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Millan met friends in La Verguenza, a Puerto Nathan Cinchora
24:53
in Orlando that's meant to resemble a sister restaurant in
24:56
old San Juan. He and Rolando Rodriguez forty six, sat
25:01
at the bar, nursing three of years and picking up
25:04
plates of chicken wings and French fries as a new
25:07
map came up in conversation. Rodriquez hasn't got it since
25:11
moving home Puerto Rico, and he said he is skeptical
25:14
about politics on the U. S mainland from the Yan
25:17
emphasized at the community. Their community was being torn apart.
25:22
It just seems like a wrong thing to be doing, Leon,
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said Morse, reported from Washington. This item is accompanied by photos.
25:32
The first is captured Omar Jose Saldana, who goes by Omi,
25:36
shows off his work after cutting and coloring the hair
25:39
of five year old Yalio Medina, who is a Puerto
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Rican themed cape at MCO Exclusive barbers in Kissimi, Florida.
25:47
Photos by Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post. The next
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photo is captured people gathered for a Bridgitton themed birthday
25:55
party in downtown Kissimi. The photo shows a group of
25:59
women in dresses which resemble nineteenth century dresses, and a
26:04
gentleman in a long coat trimmed with gold frog braiding.
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The next photo is captioned a mural and Kissimi pays
26:11
tribute to Florida wildlife. The mural includes representations of an alligator, birds,
26:17
and a red fox. The next photo is captioned live
26:22
music at La Baguenza and Orlando. The restaurant is popular
26:26
in its heably Puerto Rican part of town. The photo
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shows a man playing a fiddle a restaurant with brightly
26:33
painted walls, tables, and chairs. The next photo is captioned
26:39
Sharing the Young works at a nonprofit focused on organizing
26:42
the Latino community. The next photo is captured people walk
26:46
along Lake Topicalida at Kissimi Lakefront Park. Next a photo
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caption representative Darren soutto a Democrat at Cafe Barista in Kissimi.
26:57
The next photo is captained Puerto Rican pastries at Tino's
27:00
Bakery in Orlando. Next a photos captioned diners at Taino's.
27:06
The next fellow is captured Democratic volunteers pose in Orlando
27:11
with Samuel Vilchel Santiago, a candidate for the Florida House,
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and Gloria Rena O'Neill, running for the Orange County school Board.
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The photo shows a group of people, The majority of
27:22
them are wearing dark blue T shirts which read Seminel
27:26
Vilcha's Santiago. The next photo is captured Democratic campaign literature
27:31
in Orlando. The photo shows groups of brochures, but they
27:35
are not quite legible in the photo. The next fellow
27:40
is captured may reyas speaks with Santiago. The next item
27:45
from today's front page is entitled a turf battle over
27:49
AI control quote knife fight splits administration, spy agencies vive
27:55
for more sway than commerce by kat Zakreski, Alan Lackish
28:01
and Nutashka Tiku. As President Donald Trump prepares to travel
28:05
to a summit in China, his administration is sharply split
28:09
over a plan to give less intelligence agencies a bigger
28:13
role in evaluating AI models. According to two people familiar
28:17
with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity
28:19
to discuss the proposal that is not yet public, Trump
28:23
could sign an executive order addressing AI security as soon
28:26
as Monday, but the administration's response to new advanced AI
28:31
models remains in flux and the topic of extensive debate,
28:35
According to multiple people with knowledge of the conversations. The
28:39
debate within the administration Pitts Conner's Department officials against National
28:44
Security aids in a battle which one person described as
28:47
a nice sight to determine which part of the government
28:50
will have sway over technology that silicon value leaders say
28:55
can transform the economy. The debate has taken on greater
28:59
urgency as Trump prepares for his meeting with Chinese President
29:02
Jijin Ping and hiss U s companies braves for Chinese
29:06
competitors to release models with capabilities similar to Anthropics, Mythos,
29:11
and other advanced artificial intelligence models. The White House in
29:16
recent weeks has grappled with new cybersecurity threads posed by
29:21
Mythos and similarly advanced models. Anthropic has said that Mythos
29:25
is more effective than humans at identifying vulnerabilities in software,
29:30
creating widespread concerns that it could be used by even
29:34
inexperienced hackers to launch complex attacks on the energy gride,
29:39
banks and government agencies. In response, the White House's Office
29:44
of the National Cyber Director has proposed developing a large
29:48
center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
29:52
that would evaluate new AI models, giving intelligence agencies a
29:56
significant new role in AI policy. That proposal has faced
30:01
opposition from officials as a Commerce Department which houses an
30:05
AI center that evaluates new models through voluntary agreements with companies.
30:09
According to some of the people who spoke to The
30:12
Washington Post, there is no daylight between the Department of
30:16
Commerce and this administration on AI policy. The Department said
30:20
in a statement to the Post, from export controls to
30:23
the AI Exports Program, we are laser focused on ensuring
30:27
American leadership. The odn I referred inquiries to the White House.
30:32
The Commerce Department's AI Center has built an evaluation system
30:36
and hired AI experts with advanced degrees, said one person,
30:41
and some in the agency have argued that infrastructure makes
30:44
the agency better positioned to lead on testing, but the
30:48
intelligence community has a deep bench of technical personnel with
30:52
cybersecurity and AI expertise. The Commerce Department, especially under Trump,
30:58
has promoted a pro industry strategy as it tries to
31:02
ensure that American companies can remain competitive with China. Shifting
31:07
testing to the intelligence community could lead to greater scrutiny
31:10
of the cybersecurity and national security risks that new AI
31:14
models present and thropics announcement that Mythos has forced some
31:19
in the administration to reevaluate the lazy fare approach they
31:23
have taken toward AI regulation, which included rolling back many
31:27
of the measures President Joe Biden's administration put in place
31:31
to oversee AI development. They're relitigating everything on AI policy
31:36
right now, said Chris Maguire, senior fellow as a Council
31:40
on Foreign Relations and a Senior Technology Policy aid of
31:44
the National Security Council during the Biden administration. Is it
31:49
voluntary testing, mandatory testing, voluntary limits on what's released, mandatory limits.
31:55
The White House continues to engage across the government and industry,
31:59
and top administration officials are discussing approaches with frontier labs,
32:04
said a White House official who spoke on the conditioner
32:07
nanimity to describe the private deliberations. Any policy announcement will
32:12
come directly from the president, the official said. Discussion about
32:16
potential executive orders is speculation. In a sign of the tension,
32:21
the Commerce Department's Center for AI Standards and Innovation on
32:25
Friday took down the website the announced the agency's new
32:28
partnership to test models from Microsoft, Google, and Xai. The
32:33
website was removed because of sensitivity within the White House's
32:36
Office of the National Cyber Director. According to two people
32:40
familiar with the decision. As of Monday morning, the website
32:44
was still down. Oops, that's not standard, said the website
32:48
air page. The page you requested cannot be found at
32:51
this time and may be temporarily unavailable, or it may
32:55
have been removed or relocated. The announcement previously said the
33:00
center would conduct pre deployment evaluations and target research to
33:04
better assess frontier AI capabilities and advance the state of
33:08
AI security. Under Biden's AI Executive Order, AI developers were
33:14
required to notify the government when they were building advanced
33:18
models and share the results of testing with the Commerce Department.
33:22
The Biden administration also established the USAI Safety Institute under
33:27
Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, which was part
33:31
of a global network of centers that evaluated AARON models.
33:35
In assign of the new administration's shift, Trump removed Safety
33:39
from the agency's name and rebranded it as the Center
33:43
for AI Standards and Innovation. Administration officials had been divided
33:48
over whether evaluations of AI models should be mandatory or
33:52
whether companies could participate on a voluntary basis as they
33:56
do now. With the Center for AI Standards and Innovation
34:00
very much a topic of active debate, said a person
34:03
familiar with the matter. There are those in the intelligence
34:06
community and elsewhere who think it needs to be mandatory.
34:11
The form that evaluations would take if mandatory is unclear,
34:15
the person said. Among the open questions is whether the
34:19
administration should pursue a legal mechanism or just strong arm
34:23
companies the same way they do on other things. Commissur's
34:28
CAISI has a documented record of vetting large language models,
34:33
the technology powering chat, DBT and lithos. Earlier this month,
34:38
the center published is the evaluation of the latest version
34:41
of deep C, an AI model developed by a Chinese
34:45
startup that sent us tech Stok's tumbling in a debuted
34:48
in January twenty twenty five. In December, CIISI published an
34:54
evaluation of another AI model from the Chinese startup Moonshot Ai.
34:59
During the Bike administration, the center also published evaluations of
35:03
cutting edge AI models from Anthropic and Open Ai before
35:07
they were deployed. In recent weeks, White House officials have
35:11
put out mixed messages as they consider a reset on
35:15
the AI policies. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett last
35:20
week suggested that the administration would evaluate new AI models
35:25
the way the Food and Drug Administration tests new drugs,
35:28
so that they were released to the wild after they've
35:31
been proven safe has Its comments sparked widespread consternation in
35:36
the industry as they appeared to be a complete reversal
35:39
of the Trump administration's approach to AI regulation. Within hours,
35:44
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wilds, who seldom the
35:47
post on social media, said on x that the president
35:51
was not in the business of picking winners and losers.
35:55
Tom Silicon Valley allies sought to cast Wilde's tweet as
35:59
a rejection of the FDA model. David Sachs, who previously
36:03
served as a White House's AIS are and remained active
36:07
in discussions about how the administration should respond to AI advances,
36:11
set on the All In podcast, which is widely followed
36:15
in Silicon Valley, that no senior administration officials facts having
36:20
an FDA for AR models. Sachs called it imperative to
36:24
get advanced AI models into the hands of cybersecurity companies
36:29
to help businesses and the government prepare for the public
36:33
release of Mythos and other advanced models later this year.
36:37
He rejected calls for the government to approve the release
36:40
of AI models, saying that companies are already acting sensibly.
36:46
Both Anthropic and Open AI acted responsibly here. No one
36:50
is trying to release these super powerful models, he said
36:53
on the podcast, referring to the chet GPT maker. In
36:57
a way, all these people who are saying we need
37:00
pre release approvals for models, they're trying to solve a
37:03
problem that didn't exist. What they're trying to do is
37:07
use the issue to create a permanent new infrastructure in Washington,
37:11
he added, calling it the classic never let a crisis
37:15
go to waste strategy. This article is accompanied by a
37:18
photo captioned David Sachs's former White House AIS are remains
37:23
active in discussions about how the administration should respond to
37:27
AI advances. The photo appears to be taken in the
37:30
White House and shows mister Sachs surrounded by two other
37:34
men who are not named. The photo is by Debin
37:37
Botsford of The Washington Post. The next start in for
37:41
today's from pages entitled Trump seeks to suspend gas tax
37:45
amid soaring prices Isaac Arnsdorf. President Donald Trump said he
37:50
will suspend the federal gas tax for an unspecified period
37:54
as Iran work continues to push pump prices higher and
37:58
weigh on his popularity. The measure would require congressional approval.
38:03
It's a small percentage, but it's you know, it's so money,
38:06
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday. As
38:10
soon as this is over with a run, as soon
38:12
as it's over, you're going to see gasoline and oil
38:15
dropped like a rock. Federal taxes amount to eighteen point
38:19
three cents per gallon of gasoline and twenty four point
38:22
three cents per gallon of diesel, A suggestion reflects Trump's
38:26
limited options to address surging gas prices, as negotiations to
38:30
end the war remains stuck with no immediate way to
38:33
reopen key shipping lanes. Higher prices have contributed to Trump's
38:38
declining approval ratings ahead of November's midterm elections. The national
38:43
average hit four dollars forty five point two cents last week,
38:47
the highest since twenty twenty two, according to the U
38:50
S Energy Information Administration. Almost two thirds of Americans disapprove
38:55
of Trump's handling of the economy, the highest level in
38:58
either of his terms, according to a Washington Post a
39:02
b C News if so's poll conducted in late April.
39:06
Gasoline prices have spiked since the United States and Israel
39:09
attacked Ran on February twenty eighth, leaving the country to
39:13
block oil tankers leaving the Persian Gulf through the Strait
39:16
of Hormones. The U. S And Iran traded attacks on
39:20
ships in the strait last week despite the ceasfire, and
39:24
Trump appeared frustrated Monday with a lack of progress in
39:27
negotiations to end the conflict. The Sea Spire is on
39:31
massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, Sir,
39:34
your loved one has approximately a one percent chance of living,
39:37
Trump said, taking questions at an event about maternal health care.
39:42
He also deprecated Iran's latest negotiating offer after reading a
39:47
piece of garbage in scentives, I didn't even finish reading it,
39:50
I said, I'm not going to waste my time reading it.
39:54
Trump compared the economic cost of fighting Iran to taking
39:57
a bullet for the good of the country. He said
40:00
that Iranian negotiators agreed to his demand to never have
40:03
a nuclear weapon and give up auther Niterranian, but then
40:07
presenting a written proposal that he deemed unacceptable. He attributed
40:11
what he said was a discrepancy to tensions between Ranian
40:15
moderates and hardliners, whom he turned lunatics. They agree with us,
40:20
and then they take it back, he said, they change
40:23
our mind. They're very dishonorable people. Still, he said he
40:27
believed a diplomatic solution was possible. He said he expected
40:31
to discuss the situation with Chinese President Jijin Ping drank
40:35
his Vivid to Beijing letter this week, pointing out that
40:39
China is more dependent on Gulf wealth suppliers than the
40:42
United States. I have a plan, Trump said. The plan
40:46
is very simple. You know, in Wark you have to change,
40:50
you have to be flexible. You have a lot of plans,
40:53
but you have to do different plans on different days.
40:56
But I have a great plan. The plan is they
40:59
cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they didn't say that
41:02
in their letter. The federal gas tax pays into the
41:06
Highway Trust Fund, which pays for improvements to roads and
41:09
public transportation. Congress has been outspending the fund's growth, and
41:14
the Congressional Budget Office predicts it will run out of
41:17
money by twenty twenty eight. Suspending the gas tax for
41:21
five months would cost the fund about seventeen billion dollars,
41:25
according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Passing the savings under
41:29
drivers rather than oil companies would be difficult to enforce.
41:33
According to the Congressional Research Service, the federal tax is
41:37
collected at the terminal or refinery, not at the pump.
41:41
The government would have to estimate what prices would have
41:44
been without the tax suspension, but gas prices depend on
41:48
many other factors. Savings would also vary dramatically by region,
41:53
driving habits, and vehicle type. Administration are ready took steps
41:57
to relave prices, including relea oil reserves, lifting restrictions on
42:02
ship's moving fuel between US ports, even pollution rules regarding ethanol,
42:07
and temporarily waiving sanctions on Russian oil. Congress has never
42:12
suspended the gas tax. Republicans, including Senator Josh Holly of
42:16
Missouri and Representative Annapolina Luna of Florida, sat on Monday
42:21
that they would introduce bills to do so. Democrats, including
42:25
Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Richard Woomenthal of Connecticut,
42:29
and Representative Chris Poppas of New Hampshire already had proposals
42:34
that would suspend the gas tax and offset the losses
42:37
to the Highway Trust Fund with general funding, adding to
42:40
the budget deficit. In twenty twenty two, President Joe Biden
42:44
asked Congress to suspend the gas tax for three months.
42:48
The Democratic controlled Congress took no action. Carl Zakruski contributed
42:53
to this report. Sidon was accompanied by a Futo captioned
42:57
A customer pumps gas into his car at a sh
43:00
Ervon station on May fourth in Los Angeles by Justin
43:03
Sullivan's Getting Images. The next item is entitled as US
43:08
weapons stocks dwindle, Allies take Note Europeans worry about the
43:13
Iran War's impact on program to Armed Ukraine by Noah
43:18
Robertson and Ellen Francis. US allies in Europe are increasingly
43:23
concerned about a signature Trump administration program to armed Ukraine
43:28
as the Iran war depletes American stocks, and some countries
43:32
question how the Pentagon is spending the funds. According to
43:36
ten diplomats, officials, and progressional aids. A key issue is
43:41
a lengthy delay in American weapons sales caused by the
43:44
war in Iran, where the US military has rapidly burned
43:48
through its stores or precision weaponry during the joint campaign
43:51
with Israel. The Trump administration has not diverted equipment pledged
43:56
to Ukraine since launching the attack on Iran, officials said,
44:00
but European officials are growing concerned that US weapons shortages,
44:04
which are already impacting their own orders, could also lead
44:08
to delays from Ukraine. European nations. Ukraine's chief backers purchase
44:13
US arms for Kiv under an initiative called the Prioritized
44:17
Ukraine Requirements List or PEARL, which is broker by NIO
44:21
last summer. The deal was intended to ensure the flow
44:24
of weaponry that only the Pentagon could provide, such as
44:28
air defense interceptors to shield Ukrainian cities from Russian strikes.
44:33
It also offered a political win to President Donald Trump,
44:37
who is pledged not to spend US tax peremony on Ukraine.
44:41
But in recent months some European capitals have grown more
44:45
skeptical about the program, with some even hesitant to pledge.
44:49
NU Khans, the people said, speaking on the condition of
44:52
anonymity to discuss private concerns, Europeans are hesitating because there
44:57
is growing mistrust and lack of certainty on what will
45:01
happen with the money as the Iran war drags on.
45:04
One European official self, there have been contributions to Pearl,
45:09
but not too many. The Trump administration for the past
45:12
year has also pressured European capitals to buy US weapons
45:16
for their own defense. As Meadow countries rushed to increase
45:20
military spending, but faced with the Midish Pentagon stocktiles, allies
45:26
from Europe to East Asia now expect to wait years
45:29
to receive equipment they already purchased. The people said. The
45:34
concerns about weapons deliveries have mounted as a rift deference
45:38
between Washington and its long time European allies. Trump has
45:43
paruaded European leaders for hesitating to endorse the US war
45:46
against Iran that is convulsion the Middle East and straining
45:50
the global economy. This month, following German Chancellor of Frigate
45:54
Medic's comments that Washington was being humiliated by Taiwan, the
45:59
Pentagon announced would withdraw five thousand troops from Germany. Trump
46:03
has suggested that more reductions could come, including in Spain
46:07
and Italy, while the Pentagon has weighed rerouting orders to
46:11
the Middle East. A senior Pentagon and NATO official reassured
46:15
a gathering of keyspackers in April that deliveries to Ukraine
46:19
through Pearl would continue as planned, according to two European officials.
46:25
In response to questions, NATO did not comment on concerns
46:29
about Pearl funds. A NATO official said nations have allocated
46:33
over five point five billion dollars to the initiative. The
46:37
officials said allies continued to contribute to PEARL, including recent
46:42
pledges from Norway and Canada, adding that urgently needed US
46:46
weaponry paid for by allies, continues to flow into Ukraine
46:51
and make a real difference on the battlefield. The sense
46:55
of distrust around Pearl has grown as participant countries have
47:00
raised questions about how the Pentagon is using some of
47:03
the funds. The Washington Post reported in March that the
47:07
Pentagon had notified Congress a plan to use seven hundred
47:11
and fifty million dollars provided through PEARL to restock US inventories.
47:17
That sum would help backfill equipment provided to Ukraine during
47:21
the Biden administration rather than send additional assistance, multiple officials said.
47:27
Officials on both sides of the Atlantic question whether using
47:30
the money this way violated the expectations of the Europeans
47:34
that all their funds would go to Kiev. This is
47:37
a program that should be one for one a dollar
47:40
in a dollar of new capabilities out to Europe. A
47:44
set of aide, said a senior Pentagon official, speaking on
47:48
the condition of anonymity under terms set by the Defense Department,
47:52
did not dispute that the administration had used some of
47:55
the funding to refill its own stocks. The official, though,
47:59
framed the conversations about supporting Ukraine with NATO allies as
48:03
an invitation for Europe to grow its industrial capacity. Several officials,
48:08
including some critical of the arrangement, acknowledged that Pearl has
48:12
helped provide valuable US weaponry to Ukraine in the fifth
48:16
year of Russia's full scale invasion. Several European diplomats also
48:21
signaled that their countries continue to support the initiative, which
48:25
received funds from allies including Germany, the Netherlands, and Estonia.
48:30
Others such as France and Italy have instead supplied direct
48:34
aid and European weapons to Ukraine separately from peerl The
48:39
list of weapons and capabilities available for purchase through the program,
48:42
the Pentagon officials said, is coordinated with Ukraine, US European
48:47
Command and senior leaders inside the Defense Department who assess
48:52
the potential risks to America's own military readiness. That list
48:56
includes weaponry coming off production lines in the U S
48:59
defense industry street and equipment already in the military's inventories.
49:04
The point is that these decisions can be made in
49:07
an informed, deliberate manner, said the Pentagon official. That is
49:11
what this process enables. The Pentagon declined a comment on
49:16
specific capabilities being made available through the program. Still, the
49:20
equipment being provided through Pearl falls short of the highest
49:24
end capabilities that Kiev has requested. Multiple people said Ukraine
49:30
is almost completely out of Pack three interceptors for the
49:33
Patriot Air Defense System save for a scarce view rationed
49:37
around the country official set. Earlier this year, the Trump
49:41
administration pushed several European countries to send Ukraine their own
49:46
stores of Patriot missiles, though some declined due to concerns
49:50
that doing so would hobble their own defenses, two people
49:54
familiar with the private discussion said NATO said Pearl has
49:59
supplied most of the missiles for Ukraine's Patriot batteries, including
50:03
Pac three, and the ammunition for other air defense systems.
50:08
Pablo polisa deputy head of Ukraine's Presidential office, said some
50:13
Pearl shipments were delivered with delays because of the war
50:17
against Iran, but that Kiev has received assurances from our
50:21
partners that this is temporary and limited. In written comments,
50:26
Police has said the initiative focuses on air defenses, although
50:31
of course the needs of the front are always greater
50:33
than what is available. This is the reality of any
50:37
large scale war, he said. Ukraine, he said, is grateful
50:41
to the US for supporting Pearl and that the coordination
50:45
helps speed up decisions. The pen Artificial confirmed that multiple
50:50
allies contacted the Defense Department to confirm that contributions to
50:54
Pearl were not being diverted to support US military operations
50:58
in the Middle East. We basically ran the traps and
51:02
were able to confirm to Congress that we are very
51:05
very strictly operating within the bounds of statute, which does
51:09
provide latitude to backfill stocks that are sent to Ukraine,
51:13
the Pedipon official said. A European diplomat said the questions
51:18
about Pearl funds have influenced ongoing debate among Europeans about
51:23
how much American weaponry they should buy. It makes it
51:27
harder to advocate for keeping the door open to US
51:29
weapons as Europe mobilizes funds to rearm, the diplomat said. Meanwhile,
51:35
depends on his face scrutiny from lawmakers in both parties.
51:39
In recent weeks the press Defense Secretary Pete headset to
51:43
explain why the administration has in spent the four hundred
51:47
million dollars Congress passed this year for a separate program
51:51
that supplies Ukraine with American built weaponry. Under questioning from
51:55
Senator Jeanine Shaheen, Democrats from New Hampshire at a late aprilheermon,
52:00
Heiset did not commit to using the money as Congress
52:03
had intended. Ultimately, Europe pays for any weapons that we provide,
52:08
Heysinth said. David L. Stern and A. Nastasia Kalushka with
52:12
contributed to this report. This item is accompanied by photos.
52:17
The first is captioned did Residence stands at the side
52:21
of an apartment building hit by Russian drone strike in Odessa, Ukraine,
52:26
on April twenty fourth. Ninelia Schnook Reuters. The photo shows
52:31
an older gentleman standing amidst piles of rubble. The next
52:36
photo is captioned German Chancellor Fredich Klerks meets with President
52:41
Donald Trump in the Oval Office on March third, Jonathan Urged, Reuters.
52:46
The photo shows the two gentlemen seated in arm chairs,
52:49
leaning towards each other. The next photo is captured German
52:54
soldiers fire the Patriot Weapons system at the NATO Missile
52:58
Firing Installation Shania, Greece on November eighth, twenty seventeen. Sebastian
53:04
of pell Us Department of Defense ap and. The final
53:08
item for today's front page is entitled new Target ceo
53:12
tries to bring back its retail magic by Todd C. Frankel.
53:18
Target CEO Michael Fidelki was just a month into the
53:21
job when he stood on stage in March hoping to
53:25
win people over with his plan to revive the troubled
53:28
retail giant. But he wasn't an outsider with a bold
53:32
vision for fixing the problems. Fidelki, fifty had worked at
53:36
Target for two decades before sending to the role of
53:40
ultimate responsibility. He'd been part of top management when Target
53:45
lost its brand magic, when sales slumped and the stock
53:49
price fell thirty percent over five years, even as competitors sold.
53:55
His pitch during the annual Ernie's presentation held at the
53:58
company's headquarters. In minute, Applis was that he understood Target.
54:03
He'd started out at the big box screed tailor as
54:05
a summer intern in two thousand and three. While wrapping
54:09
up his MBA, he knew quote, when Target is at
54:13
its best, what that's looked like. He acknowledged that shoppers
54:17
had grown disappointed and that it would take time to
54:20
renew their trust in categories such as home goods or
54:23
Target used to be strong and a pacesetter. To analysts,
54:28
it was a tough sell the idea that an insider
54:31
like Fidelky could bring back Target's glory days when customers
54:35
marveled over stylish View products like the spinning Whistle tea
54:39
kettle and delighted in adopting a full French accent to
54:42
exclaim targe. Michael Baker, and analyst with DA Davidson and Company,
54:49
didn't sugarcoat his doubt. One criticism maybe is that it's
54:54
the same management team. You know. I think at some
54:57
point some investors wanted people from the outset, he said,
55:01
when it was time to ask questions of Target's leadership
55:04
at the Minneapolis event, I mean it's the same faces,
55:08
new strategies. Baker continued, what happened to all of a
55:12
sudden realized, Oh, we need to do something different. That
55:16
skepticism is shared by Mark A. Cullen, a past director
55:20
of retail Studies at Columbia University and former top executive
55:25
for Sears and other major retailers. Target went to hell,
55:29
and he has to be guilty of some of that.
55:31
Collen said, I had this enormous cynicism for people who
55:36
are part of the train wreck who are now being
55:38
called upon to fix the business. Many shoppers say Target
55:43
has lost its way. They complain about messy stores, long
55:47
checkout lines, and a lack of stylish new products. Targets
55:51
turnaround will be challenging, Collen said, because they need to
55:56
get their mojo back. Target and Fidelty declined to come
55:59
in ahead of the retailer's next earnings presentation in late May,
56:03
and pointed to the CEO's previous public comments. When hunting
56:08
for a new CEO, most companies tap it insider. That's
56:12
what happened seventy to eighty percent of the time when
56:15
a company listed in the S and P five hundred
56:18
needed a new leader from twenty eighteen to twenty twenty four,
56:22
According to a Conference Board report, troubled companies, though, often
56:27
turned to outsiders to reverse sagging fortunes. The Conference Board
56:32
found that firms with declining performance were more likely to
56:35
hire externally. In twenty twenty three, outside of CEOs took
56:40
the reins at companies that posted an average eight percent
56:44
loss in the prior year's total shareholder return, compared with
56:48
a two percent rise of companies with internal hires. An
56:53
outsider offers the promise of a fresh face without the
56:56
baggage of past failures. Some executives get the job based
57:01
on a winning record at another company. Some make careers
57:05
out of it, specializing as corporate turnaround artists, but there's
57:10
no promise it will work. A study by an executive
57:13
search consulting firm found no clear performance advantage between insiders
57:18
and outsiders. Another study by two business professors reported that
57:24
empirical results on the consequences of the decision to hire
57:27
a new CEO externally are mixed, and corporate history is
57:32
littered with colorful examples of outside CEOs making bad problems worse.
57:39
Any new CEO, insider or outsider promising a dramatic turnaround
57:45
comes with risks. That's evident just looking at the trajectories
57:49
of some prominent Target loans. Mark Treaton was recruited from
57:54
Target in twenty nineteen to take over struggling Bed, Bath
57:58
and Beyond, where he cleaned up the out of aisles
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and scale back on the coupons that define the home
58:03
goods chain. Customers hated it, Sales plunged, the stock price
58:09
was down about sixty percent by the time Tritton departed
58:13
in twenty twenty two. B B and B, as it
58:15
was known, went bankrupt the next year. Due to the
58:19
constraints of time, we will be unable to complete this item.
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This concludes a reading of the Washington Post for today, Tuesday,
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May twelfth, twenty twenty six. Your reader has been Cindy Fraser.
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If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning this program,
58:34
please feel free to call us at A five nine
58:37
four two two six three nine zero, Thank you for listening,
58:41
and now please stay tuned for continued programming on Radio
58:44
I